Rail spike and anchor device



Jan. 24, 1967 R. w. PURDY 3,300,141

RAIL SPIKE AND ANCHOR DEVICE Filed Aug. 17, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR. RICHARD W. Purzov,

BY M 33 06W ATTORNEYS.

1967 R.w. PURDY 3,300,141

RAIL SPIKE AND ANCHOR DEVICE Filed Aug. 17, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR.

RICHARD W PuRov,

BY New ATTORNEYS 1967 R; w PURDY RAIL SPIKE AND ANCHOR DEVICE 5Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 17, 1964 Flg.8

INVENTOR klouAao W. PuiZDY, BY W, 1

1M Noam ATToRNEva.

United States Patent 3,300,141 RAIL SPIKE AND ANCHOR DEVICE Richard W.Purdy, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Armco Steel Corporation, Middletown,Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 389,904

7 Claims. (Cl. 238-615) The invention relates to a rail retaining means,and more particularly to a device, which in association with a railroadrail, and with ties, will serve to spike and anchor such railsimultaneously.

In the laying of railroad rail or the like, utilizing ties, means mustbe provided for retaining the rail in its proper position on the ties,and for preventing rail creep, i.e., the longitudinal movement of therail caused by thermal expansion and contraction, and the action oftraffic on the rails. In the usual practice, rail spikes are used toretain the rail in proper position on the ties. Such rail spikesgenerally have no beneficial eflFect in preventing rail creep. Railanchors are used to minimize longitudinal movement or creeping.

There are a number of problems associated with this method of layingrail. For example, the rail is subject to vertical movement under load,and as a result the rail spikes are pulled upwardly losing their railcontact. If they become excessively loose, their effectiveness isminimized. Furthermore, as far as applicant is aware, most railanchoring devices in use today depend for their effectiveness uponcross-tie bearing to develop resistance to rail creepage. When suchanchoring devices lose contact with the side of the tie, their abilityto prevent rail creepage is lost. As a result, these anchoring devicesmust periodically be reset or reinstalled, thereby requiring additionalmaintenance and additional maintenance expense.

These problems have become even more acute with the increased use ofcontinuous welded rail. When standard 39 foot 0 rail lengths are used,there will be a rail joint every39 feet. Rail joint devices have beendesigned to accommodate thermal expansion and contraction. However, whencontinuous welded rail, approximately onequarter mile in length, isused, the number of rail joints and rail joining devices is materiallyreduced. Thus, with welded rail, the intermediate relief points nolonger exist and stresses must be accumulated for considerabledistances. For example, the customary 100 thermal gradient that might beencountered will cause an approximate inch change in length in a 39 footrail section. In a section of welded track A: mile long, the change inlength will be of the order of 8 inches. When 39 foot rail sections areused, the rail is permitted to expand or contract in accordance withtemperature changes, and the rail joints will accommodate the change inlength. .When Welded rail is used expansion and contraction must beprevented since no single joint would accommodate an 8 inch lengthchange.

It will be seen from the above that the problem of preventinglongitudinal movement of continuous welded rail (both from expansion andcontraction and the action of trafiic) is of particular importance. Manyanchoring practices are in use today; but in general with continuouswelded rail alternate or every third tie is box-anchored (i.e., the useof four anchors per tie to insure against longitudinal creep in eitherdirection) throughout the length of the rail, with additionalbox-anchoring for some distance from the rail ends. It will beunderstood by one skilled in the art that the placement and frequency ofplacement of anchoring means will depend upon many factors includingservice condition, climate, traific type and density, etc. However, itis not uncommon to use between 7,000 and 10,000 rail anchors per mile oftrack,

3,300,141 Patented Jan. 24, 1967 ICC together with approximately 13,000rail spikes per mile. For this reason, the installation time andexpense, and the maintenance time and expense per mile of rail is high.It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide aone-piece device adapted for use as a rail spike and a rail anchorsimultaneously.

It is an object of the present invention to provide such a devicepermitting a mass anchoring technique with maximum rail creepagecontrol. g

It is an object of the present invention to provide a onepiece means forrail spiking and rail anchoring whereby installation and maintenancetime and expense are materially reduced.

It is an object of the present invention to provide such a device whichwill not lose its rail contact and effectiveness as a result of verticalmovement of the rail under load.

It is an object of the present inventionto provide a rail spike and railanchoring means which does not depend for its anchoring action upon abearing on the side of the tie.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a onepiece devicefor rail spiking and rail anchoring which does not require periodicresetting or reinstallation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide such a device whichis easy and inexpensive to manufacture, install, and remove.

It is an object of the present invention to provide such a device whichmay be easily installed or removed by hand or mechanically.

These and other objects of the invention, which Will be describedhereinafter or will be clear to one skilled in the art upon reading thisspecification, are accomplished by that structure and arrangement ofpart of which certain exemplary embodiments will now be described.Reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one form of rail spike and rail anchordevice in association with a rail, the rail being shown in dot-dashlines.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a rail, tie and tie plate illustrating theuse of two forms of the rail spike and rail anchor device of the presentinvention.

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view taken along the section line 33 ofFIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a partial sectional view taken along the section line 44 ofFIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the device of the present inventionillustrating the initial position, fully stressed position and thein-place position of the device during installation.

FIGURE 6 is a partial sectional view showing the initial position, fullystressed position and the in-place position of the spur end of thedevice during installation.

FIGURE 7 is a partial elevational view illustrating another form of spurend.

FIGURE 8 is a partial elevational view illustrating yet another form ofspur end.

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGUREI, but showing another modificationof the rail spike and rail anchoring device of the present invention.

FIGURE 10 is a view similar to FIGURE 4, showing v the embodiment ofFIGURE 9.

The device of the present invention will be described in connection withthe use of conventional wooden ties and conventional tie plates. As willbe understood by one skilled in the art, this is exemplary only sincethe device may also be used with concrete ties or the like having castholes, wooden inserts or other means for receipt of the shank of thedevice described hereinafter.

A tie plate has been illustrated in the various figures at 1, andprovided with a series of rectangular openings 2 and 5 for the receptionof spikes. It will be understood that the outlying openings 5 areemployed in fastening the tie plate to the tie 6 by means of ordinaryspikes (not shown). The rectangular opening 2 more remote from the endsof the tie plate are so positioned as to lie adjacent the bottom flange7 of the rail 8. The rail has the conventional vertical web 9 and thehead member 10. The worker in the art will understand that the tie platemay have ridge elements 11 lying adjacent the edges of the rail flange7, so as to minimize movement of the rail across the tie plate in adirection parallel to the axis of the tie.

It will be evident that if ordinary spikes are driven into the tie tothe openings 2 in the tie plate, the heads of these spikes will tend tohold the rail flange down onto the tie plate. But up and down movementof the rail in use will tend to draw such spikes upwardly, and in anyevent such spikes cannot prevent longitudinal movement of the rail.

The spike and anchor device of this invention comprises a rectangularbody, a head by means of which the spike may be driven into the tie inthe usual fashion, a lateral extension or arm on the head and a hookedend or spur on the opposite end of the lateral arm. These parts will nowbe described in detail.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the spike and anchor device has a shaft or spikebody 12 which is preferably pointed as at 13 on its lower end. The spikebody or shaft 12 is rectangular in cross section and of suchcross-sectional dimensions as to pass through the perforation 2 in thetie plate 1. This prevents rotation of the spike body when it has beendriven home.

.The device as shown in FIGURE 1 has a head 14 in the form of areversely bent loop. The outer end of the loop overlies an edge portionof the rail flange 7 as shown.

The laterally extending arm 15 joins the head 14 at one end and isintended to lie along a marginal portion of the rail flange. On theouter end of the lateral arm 15 there is a hooked portion or spur end 16which has an outwardly and downwardly extending portion and a detentelement 17 for engagement beneath the under surface of the rail flange.The lateral arm 15 is given a horizontal deflection in the direction ofthe web 9, and a vertical lead in the direction away from the railflange 7. These vertical and horizontal leads or deflections areillustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6. As will be described hereinafter, thehorizontal deflection and vertical lead of the lateral arm 15 is ofimportance not only with respect to the function of the device, but alsowith respect to its installation and removal. the solid lines 18 showthe initial position of the lateral arm and the spur. The dotted lines19 show the maXimum deflection of the lateral arm required to engage thespur end over the edge of the rail flange 7. The dotdash lines 20 inthis figure show the final position of the lateral arm and spur when inengagement with the rail flange. Such engagement of the spur end isillustrated in FIGURE 3. The lateral arm is also canted as shown inFIGURE 4 so that in its final position it can lie parallel to andagainst the sloping upper surface of the rail flange.

The manner of use of the device will now be clear.

- The shaft of the spike is inserted in a perforation 2 in the tieplate, and the spike is driven downwardly either by hand or by machine.At first the spur element 16 will lie above the rail flange 7 as shownin solid lines in FIGURE 6. Then as the spike end is further drivendownwardly to its final in-place position and the spike end of thelateral arm contacts the rail flange 7 (see FIGURE 4), the spur element16 is moved outwardly to a position shown by the dotted lines 19 inFIGURES 5 and 6. The spur element is then placed in its final clampingposition (as shown by dot-dash lines 20 in FIGURE 6) by a vertical blowapplied in the direction of the vertical rr w A. Th s vertical blow willcause In FIGURE 5 the lateral arm to spring toward the rail flange edgedue to resilient deflection of the lateral arm so that the detentportion 17 engages beneath the rail flange edge. The spur may then behit a horizontal blow (in the direction of the horizontal arrow B inFIGURE 6) to insure that it firmly engages the rail flange edge.Usually, however, such a blow will not be necessary due to the resilientdeflection of the lateral arm. Both the horizontal deflection and thevertical lead of the lateral arm will tend to insure a strong frictionalengagement of the rail flange by the spur element. If the device is tobe removed, the spur element need only be pried away from engagementwith the rail flange edge. The vertical lead of the lateral arm willcause the spur element to snap upwardly to the position 19 shown indotted lines in FIGURE 6. Then, the spike end may be pulled upwardly forcomplete removal of the device.

The length of the lateral arm 15 may be varied but in any event itshould be long enough to permit the spur element to lie off the edge ofthe tie plate as shown in FIGURE 2. It will be evident that the actionof the spike will be not only to hold the rail down onto the tie platebut also to maintain a strong frictional engagement with the flange ofthe rail minimizing longitudinal movement of the rail. This strongfrictional engagement will be maintained despite any loosening of thespike With respect to the tie. However, the action of the spike is notdependent upon the engagement of the spur end with the edge of the tieplate or with the edge of the tie. Thus the lateral arm may be longerthan the distance between a perforation 2 and the adjacent side edge ofthe tie plate. This is especially desirable where the clearance betweenthe bottom of the rail flange and the tie is not suflicient to enablethe spur detent to engage beneath the rail flange. An anchor spikehaving an elongated lateral arm is illustrated in the lower left handportion of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 7 illustrates an alternative form of spur, having a downwardextension 21. The lower end portion of the downward extension 21 lyingtoward the rail is relieved as at 22, so as to tend to cam the extensionaway from the rail flange until the anchor spike is driven home andfinal engagement of the spur with the rail flange is achieved. Theprovision of the downward extension 21 enables an earlier contactbetween the spur end and the rail flange. While the anchor spike isdriven home, the downward extension 21 rides along the edge of the railflange producing an automatic deflection of the lateral arm and therebyfacilitates the inter-engagement of the parts. The spur end illustratedin FIGURE 6 may be given a relief 23 similar to the relief 22 in FIG-URE 7.

Another form of spur is illustrated in FIGURE 8. In this instance thespur 16 is provided with an inwardly projecting lip 24 adjacent thedetent 17, and a downwardly and outwardly sloping bottom surface 25. Asthe rail spike and anchor device is driven home, the surface 25 will camthe spur away from the rail flange edge until final engagement of therail flange by the lip 24 and detent 17 is achieved.

In FIGURES 9 and 10 where like parts are given like index numerals,there is shown a modification of the anchor spike of this invention. Themodification differs from the structure shown in FIGURES 1 through 7inclusive, in that instead of providing a spike head in the form of areversely bent loop 14, a flat upset spike head 26 is provided on theupper end of the spike body 12.

The rail spike and anchor devices of the present invention can bemanufactured from a suitable steel such as A.I.S.I. 1045. Other alloysor corrosion resistant materials may also be used. The structures may becast, formed, or die forged, and preferably are heat treated to producethe necessary strength for various service conditions.

A Brinell hardness reading of 200 to 375 is recommended in order toobtain the desired resiliency in the steel. The rail spike and anchoringdevices of the present invention may be furnished uncoated orgalvanized.

Modifications may be made in the invention without departing from thespirit of it.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A rail spike and anchor device for use with a rail having a head, aweb, and a lower flange, and a tie, said device having an elongated bodyportion to be driven into said tie, a head portion by means of whichdriving force may be applied to the body portion, a one piece lateralextension on said head portion adapted to lie along the upper surface ofsaid flange in a position substantially parallel to an edge thereof, anda hook-shaped spur at the end of said extension remote from said head toextend over said edge of said flange and engage beneath the lowersurface thereof.

2. The structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said device has a flat head.

3. The structure claimed in claim 1 wherein the said head comprises asubstantially U-shaped continuation of said body adapted to exertresilient pressure on the upper surface of said flange.

4. The structure claimed in claim 1 wherein said extension is deflectedupwardly and inwardly requiring a resilient distortion of said extensionto cause said hookshaped spur to engage over the edge of said flange.

5. The structure claimed in claim 4 wherein the lower edge of saidhook-shaped spur is relieved to permit said distortion to occur upon theapplication of a driving force to the end of said extension to causesaid hooked shaped spur to snap over the edge of said flange.

6. The structure claimed in claim 4 wherein said extension isadditionally canted to conform to a slanted upper surface of saidflange.

7. The structure claimed in claim 4 wherein said hooksha-ped spur has ainwardly extending lip and an outwardly and downwardly extendingportion, said lip and said portion connected by a downwardly andoutwardly sloping camming surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,029,426 6/1912Courson 2383 14 1,777,990 10/1930 Moore et al. 238330 2,252,116 8/1941Clarkson 238-315 2,257,641 9/1941 Muller 23 8349 2,287,843 6/ 1942Tvrzicky 23 8-349 2,293,423 8/1942 Clarkson 23 83 15 2,726,043 12/1955Endsley 238-315 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

R. A. BERTSCH, Assistant Examiner.

1. A RAIL SPIKE AND ANCHOR DEVICE FOR USE WITH A RAIL HAVING A HEAD, AWEB, AND A LOWER FLANGE, AND A TIE, SAID DEVICE HAVING AN ELONGATED BODYPORTION TO BE DRIVEN INTO SAID TIE, A HEAD PORTION BY MEANS OF WHICHDRIVING FORCE MAY BE APPLIED TO THE BODY PORTION, A ONE PIECE LATERALEXTENSION ON SAID HEAD PORTION ADAPTED TO LIE ALONG THE UPPER SURFACE OFSAID FLANGE IN A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO AN EDGE THEREOF, ANDA HOOK-SHAPED SPUR AT THE END OF SAID EXTENSION REMOTE FROM SAID HEAD TOEXTEND OVER SAID EDGE OF SAID FLANGE AND ENGAGE BENEATH THE LOWERSURFACE THEREOF.